Brassiere



Oct. 7, 1941. c BULUNGER 2,258,277

BRAssIERE Filed March 29, 1940 w #MWM ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 7, 1941 PATENT OFFICE BnAssIEaE Conrad Bullinger, Riverside, Ill., assignor to A. Stein & Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 29, 1940, Serial N 0. 326,552

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in the construction of brassieres and it has particular reference to a brassiere of the so-called "up-lift" kind.

The main objects of the invention areto provide a brassiere of the kind indicated with means which will effectively and comfortably support the breasts; to provide such means which will be substantially permanent in character in that it will withstand the effects of perspiration and laundering; and in general, it is the object of the invention to provide an improved brassiere of the character indicated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawing wherein there is disclosed a brassiere embodying a selected form of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l is an elevation of the inside of the improved brassiere when laid out in theoretical flat form, actual flatness being impossible due to conventional pocket shaping of the breast covering portions of the brassiere;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a detail of one element employed in the improved construction.

The brassiere construction shown in the draw- 5 brassiere.

on the inside of the brassiere.

breast pocket forming portion at the band 5, and the length of the section I will be approximately as represented in Figure 1, i. e., substantially the full length of the breast pocket portion ofthe The upper edge I ll of the member 1 is preferably of the concave form shown although it may be of any other suitable configura- The member I in this instance constitutes a textile fabric element II and an inner textile fabric element l2 which is preferably of so-called cotton or Shaker flannel which has a soft nap on one side, which in this instance faces inwardly The textile fabric elements I I and I2 are laminated through the agency of a suitable moisture-proof, water-insoluble ply of rubber i3 or other material which, due to its ability to withstand the effects of moisture either in the form of perspiration or laundering water, will maintain the fabric members permanently in laminated condition.

The laminated fabric section may embody materials other than flannel and rubber but these specific materials are well suited to the purpose of the construction described.

The laminated material from which the sections 1, l are formed may be produced by feeding webs of the two textile fabrics employed into ing is typical of such articles in that it embodies 3o relatively superposed relation. The selected adprimarily a band or strap 5 of suitable textile material which is adapted to encircle the bust, with ends of the strap or band being suitably Joined in back of the wearer and there being prohesive material may be fed in sheet form between the fabric members or suitably delivered thereto in liquid form or by spraying on the surface of either or both sheets. The superposed plies and vided suitable shoulder straps such as indicated interposed adhesive material may then be passed at i. The band 5 may be formed of any suitable fabrics and may be formed of several sections suitably cut and united to provide the desired pocket shaping in the breast covering portions between suitable pressure rolls which will press the fabrics together and expel any surplus of adhesive material,leaving between the two fabric element the desired thickness of adhesive maand it may include ornamental lace or net-like 4o terial which may be Of known Self-drying 0 fabrics where desired.

The present invention has to do particularly with the provision of an element in that section of the brassiere which engages the lower or under ing character or subjected to any required drying ,or curing operation. The adhesive laminating agent thus forms a moisture-proof ply between the two fabric plies and serves to prevent moisportion of the breast and provides a lifting or ture absorbed by one ply from reaching the other.

supporting effect therefor. As shown in Figure 1 there is provided in this instance lower breast supporting sections designated 1, I such sections being suitably secured to the inside of the bras- Hence when the laminated material is employed in a brassiere, the flannel inner fabric member Ill which is a well known non-stretchable material may in some instances absorb perspiration but the siere band 5, for example, by stitching as indian intervening rubber or other adhesive layer It will cated at 8.

In the sectional view Figure 2, the breast-engaging member 'I is illustrated as extending upwardly from the bottom edge 9 of the brassiere prevent such moisture from being transmitted to the outer fabric member Ii, thereby preserving the normal appearance of the outside portion of the section and of the adjacent fabric portion of to approximately one-half the width of the'lower, the brassiere band 5.

The rubber or other arm ating ply imparts to the sections li a iced resistance to folding or buckling while at the same time preserving in the sections substantially all of the normal softness and flexibility of the fabric elements so that the sections have a definite property of being soft and flexible enough to be capable or sufilciently conforming to the adjacent breast portion to provide comfortable support therefor. The property of resisting folding and buckling is of considerable importance in that it prevents the lower margins of the breast supporting sections '27, i from folding or wrinkling longituclinally under the weight oi the supported breast portions.

In the disclosed brassiere construction, the adjacent ends of the sections 3, 77 are joined together by means of a guset of elastic material it. This gusset may be stretchable longitudinally of the brassiere or it may be formed of two-way stretch fabric. In some instances the sections l, "i may beso extended at their adjacent ends as to meet and their meeting ends may be stitched together, or, if desired, the sections ll, 71 may be made of seamless onepiece construction. Various arrangements of this nature and other changes may be made in the construction of the brassiere without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

1. A brassiere having breast-supporting sections, each breast-supporting section comprising a lower part of non-stretchable material adapted to engage and support the lower portion of the breast, said material embodying a fabric inner facing ply and a ply of permanently flexible, water-insoluble, normally non-creasable material united to said fabric ply in face to face relation over sumcient area to cause said ply to impart to the said section of the brassiere when being worn, the property of resisting wrinkling especially along the lower marginal portion thereof, while, at the same time, maintaining in said section, flexibility and softness permitting a substantial degree of conformation of the section to the breast.

2. A brassire having breast-supporting sections, each breast-supporting section comprising a lower part of non-stretchable material adapted to engage and support the lower portion of the breast, said material embodying a fabric inner facing ply and a ply of permanently flexible rubber united to said fabric ply in face to face relation over sufiicient area to cause said rubber ply to impart to the said section of the brassiere when being worn, the property of resisting wrinkling especially along the lower marginal portion thereof while, at the same time, maintaining in said section, flexibility and softness permitting a substantial degree of conformation of the section to the breast.

3. A brassire having breast-supporting sections, each breast-supporting section compris-' ing a lower part of non-stretchable material adapted to engage and support the lower portion of the breast, said material embodying inner and outer plies of fabric and an intervening ply of rubber, said plies being water-insolubly united in face to face relation over suificiently coextensive areas to cause said rubber ply to impart to the said section of the brassire, when being worn, the property of resisting wrinkling especially along the lower marginal portion thereof, while, at the same time, maintaining in the section, flexibility and softness permitting a substantial degree of conformation of the section to the breast.

CO BULLINGER. 

